THE BOOK OF THE PSALMS
BOOKII
Longing for God and His Help in Distress
To the choirmaster.
A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.
42[41]*As a deer longs
for flowing streams,
so longs my soul
for you, O God.
2My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
the face of God?
3My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”
4These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng,
and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
a multitude keeping festival.
5Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my savior6and my God.
My soul is cast down within me,
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.
7Deep calls to deep
at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows
have gone over me.
8By day the LORD commands his steadfast love;
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9I say to God, my rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10As with a deadly wound in my body,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”
11Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.
Prayer to God in Time of Trouble
43[42]Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people;
from deceitful and unjust men
deliver me!
2For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you cast me off?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
3Oh, send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me,
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
4Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy;
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
5Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my savior and my God.
National Lament and Prayer for Help
To the choirmaster.
A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.
44[43]We have heard with our ears, O God,
our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
in the days of old:
2you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but you planted them;
you afflicted the peoples,
but you set them free;
3for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm give them victory;
but your right hand, and your arm,
and the light of your countenance;
for you delighted in them.
4You are my King and my God,
who ordaine victories for Jacob.
5Through you we push down our foes;
through your name we tread down our assailants.
6For not in my bow do I trust,
nor can my sword save me.
7But you have saved us from our foes,
and have put to confusion those who hate us.
8In God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name for ever. Selah
9Yet you have cast us off and abased us,
and have not gone out with our armies.
10You have made us turn back from the foe;
and our enemies have gotten spoil.
11You have made us like sheep for slaughter,
and have scattered us among the nations.
12You have sold your people for a trifle,
demanding no high price for them.
13You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
the derision and scorn of those about us.
14You have made us a byword among the nations,
a laughingstockf among the peoples.
15All day long my disgrace is before me,
and shame has covered my face,
16at the words of the taunters and revilers,
at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.
17All this has come upon us,
though we have not forgotten you,
or been false to your covenant.
18Our heart has not turned back,
nor have our steps departed from your way,
19that you should have broken us in the place of jackals,
and covered us with deep darkness.
20If we had forgotten the name of our God,
or spread forth our hands to a strange god,
21would not God discover this?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22No, for your sake we are slain all the day long,
and accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
23Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord?
Awake! Do not cast us off for ever!
24Why do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
our body clings to the ground.
26Rise up, come to our help!
Deliver us for the sake of your merciful love!
Ode for a Royal Wedding
To the choirmaster: according to Lilies.
A Maskil of the Sons of Korah; a love song.
45[44]My heart overflows with a goodly theme;
I address my verses to the king;
my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.
2You are the fairest of the sons of men;
grace is poured upon your lips;
therefore God has blessed you for ever.
3Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one,
in your glory and majesty!
4In your majesty ride forth victoriously
for the cause of truth and to defendg the right;
let your right hand teach you dread deeds!
5Your arrows are sharp
in the heart of the king’s enemies;
the peoples fall under you.
6Your divine throneh endures for ever and ever.
Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity;
7 you love righteousness and hate wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness above your fellows;
8 your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia.
From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad;
9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor;
at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
10Hear, O daughter, consider, and incline your ear;
forget your people and your father’s house;
11 and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your lord, bow to him;
12 the peoplei of Tyre will court your favor with gifts,
the richest of the people 13with all kinds of wealth.
The daughter of the king is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes;j
14 in many-colored robes she is led to the king,
with her virgin companions, her escort,k in her train.
15With joy and gladness they are led along
as they enter the palace of the king.
16Instead of your fathers shall be your sons;
you will make them princes in all the earth.
17I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations;
therefore the peoples will praise you for ever and ever.
God’s Defense of His City and People
To the choirmaster.
A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
According to Alamoth.
A Song.
46[45]God is our refuge and strength,
a very presentl help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.m Selah
8Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has wrought desolations in the earth.
9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
he burns the chariots with fire!
10“Be still, and know that I am God.
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth!”
11The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.m Selah
God’s Rule over the Nations
To the choirmaster.
A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
47[46]Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
2For the LORD, the Most High, is awesome,
a great king over all the earth.
3He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
4He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah
5God has gone up with a shout,
the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
6Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7For God is the king of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm!n
8God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
9The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted!
The Glory and Strength of Zion
A Song.
A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
48[47]Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God!
His holy mountain, 2beautiful in elevation,
is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
3Within her citadels God
has shown himself a sure defense.
4For behold, the kings assembled,
they came on together.
5As soon as they saw it, they were astounded,
they were in panic, they took to flight;
6trembling took hold of them there,
anguish as of a woman with labor pains.
7By the east wind you shattered
the ships of Tarshish.
8As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the LORD of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God establishes for ever. Selah
9We have thought on your mercy, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
10As your name, O God,
so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with victory;
11 let Mount Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments!
12Walk about Zion, go round about her,
number her towers,
13consider well her ramparts,
go through her citadels;
that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God,
our God for ever and ever.
He will be our guide for ever.
The Folly of Trust in Riches
To the choirmaster.
A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
49[48]Hear this, all peoples!
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2both low and high,
rich and poor together!
3My mouth shall speak wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.
5Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
6men who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7Truly no man can ransom himself,o
or give to God the price of his life,
8for the ransom of hisp life is costly,
and can never suffice,
9that he should continue to live on for ever,
and never see the Pit.
10Yes, he shall see that even the wise die,
the fool and the stupid alike must perish
and leave their wealth to others.
11Their gravesq are their homes for ever,
their dwelling places to all generations,
though they named lands their own.
12Man cannot abide in his pomp,
he is like the beasts that perish.
13This is the fate of those who have foolish confidence,
the end of thoser who are pleased with their portion. Selah
14Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend,s
and their form shall waste away;
Sheol shall be their home.t
15But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me. Selah
16Be not afraid when one becomes rich,
when the gloryu of his house increases.
17For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
his gloryu will not go down after him.
18Though, while he lives, he counts himself happy,
and though a man gets praise when he does well for himself,
19he will go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never more see the light.
20Man cannot abide in his pomp,
he is like the beasts that perish.
The Acceptable Sacrifice
A Psalm of Asaph.
50[49]The Mighty One, God the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.
3Our God comes, he does not keep silence,
before him is a devouring fire,
round about him a mighty tempest.
4He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5“Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
6The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge! Selah
7“Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.
8I do not reprove you for your sacrifices;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9I will accept no bull from your house,
nor he-goat from your folds.
10For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11I know all the birds of the air,v
and all that moves in the field is mine.
12“If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
for the world and all that is in it is mine.
13Do I eat the flesh of bulls,
or drink the blood of goats?
14Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,w
and pay your vows to the Most High;
15and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
16But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite my statutes,
or take my covenant on your lips?
17For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.
18If you see a thief, you are a friend of his;
and you keep company with adulterers.
19“You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
20You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother’s son.
21These things you have done and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you.
22“Mark this, then, you who forget God,
lest I tear, and there be none to deliver!
23He who brings thanksgiving as his sacrifice honors me;
to him who orders his way aright
I will show the salvation of God!”
Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon
To the choirmaster.
A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him,
after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
51[50]*Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your merciful love;
according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
3For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4Against you, you only, have I sinned,
and done that which is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
and blameless in your judgment.
5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6Behold, you desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Make me hearx joy and gladness;
let the bones which you have broken rejoice.
9Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and righty spirit within me.
11Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14Deliver me from bloodguilt,z O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
15O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall show forth your praise.
16For you take no delight in sacrifice;
were I to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
17The sacrifice acceptable to Goda is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
19then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Judgment on the Deceitful
To the choirmaster.
A Maskil of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul,
“David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”
52[51]Why do you boast, O mighty man,
of mischief done against the godly?b
All the day 2you are plotting destruction.
Your tongue is like a sharp razor,
you worker of treachery.
3You love evil more than good,
and lying more than speaking the truth. Selah
4You love all words that devour,
O deceitful tongue.
5But God will break you down for ever;
he will snatch and tear you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
6The righteous shall see, and fear,
and shall laugh at him, saying,
7“See the man who would not make God his refuge,
but trusted in the abundance of his riches,
and sought refuge in his wealth!”c
8But I am like a green olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the mercy of God
for ever and ever.
9I will thank you for ever,
because you have done it.
I will proclaimd your name, for it is good,
in the presence of the godly.
Denunciation of Godlessness
To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath.
A Maskil of David.
53[52]The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
there is none that does good.
2God looks down from heaven
upon the sons of men
to see if there are any that are wise,
that seek after God.
3They have all fallen away;
they are all alike depraved;
there is none that does good,
no, not one.
4Have those who work evil no understanding,
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon God?
5There they are, in great terror,
in terror such as has not been!
For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly;e
they will be put to shame,f for God has rejected them.
6O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.
Prayer for Vindication
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul,
“David is in hiding among us.”
54[53]Save me, O God, by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
2Hear my prayer, O God;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
3For insolent meng have risen against me,
ruthless men seek my life;
they do not set God before them. Selah
4Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholderh of my life.
5He will repay my enemies with evil;
in your faithfulness put an end to them.
6With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good.
7For you have delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
Complaint about a Friend’s Treachery
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
A Maskil of David.
55[54]Give ear to my prayer, O God;
and hide not yourself from my supplication!
2Attend to me, and answer me;
I am overcome by my trouble.
I am distraught 3by the noise of the enemy,
because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they bringi trouble upon me,
and in anger they cherish enmity against me.
4My heart is in anguish within me,
the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5Fear and trembling come upon me,
and horror overwhelms me.
6And I say, “O that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest;
7yes, I would wander afar,
I would lodge in the wilderness, Selah
8I would wait for him who saves me
from the raging wind and tempest.”
9Destroy their plans,j O Lord, confuse their tongues;
for I see violence and strife in the city.
10Day and night they go around it
on its walls;
and mischief and trouble are within it,
11 ruin is in its midst;
oppression and fraud
do not depart from its market place.
12It is not an enemy who taunts me—
then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
then I could hide from him.
13But it is you, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.
14We used to hold sweet converse together;
within God’s house we walked in fellowship.
15Let deathk come upon them;
let them go down to Sheol alive;
let them go away in terror into their graves.l
16But I call upon God;
and the LORD will save me.
17Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan,
and he will hear my voice.
18He will deliver my soul in safety
from the battle that I wage,
for many are arrayed against me.
19God will give ear, and humble them,
he who is enthroned from of old;
because they keep no law,m
and do not fear God. Selah
20My companion stretched out his hand against his friends,
he violated his covenant.
21His speech was smoother than butter,
yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
yet they were drawn swords.
22Cast your burdenn on the LORD,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.
23But you, O God, will cast them down
into the lowest pit;
men of blood and treachery
shall not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.
Trust in God under Persecution
To the choirmaster:
according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths.
A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.
56[55]Have mercy on me, O God, for men trample upon me;
all day long foes oppress me;
2my enemies trample upon me all day long,
for many fight against me proudly.
3When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust without a fear.
What can flesh do to me?
5All day long they seek to injure my cause;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6They band themselves together, they lurk,
they watch my steps.
As they have waited for my life,
7 so recompenseo them for their crime;
in wrath cast down the peoples, O God!
8You have kept count of my tossings;
put my tears in your bottle!
Are they not in your book?
9Then my enemies will be turned back
in the day when I call.
This I know, thatp God is for me.
10In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise,
11in God I trust without a fear.
What can man do to me?
12My vows to you I must perform, O God;
I will render thank offerings to you.
13For you have delivered my soul from death,
yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
Praise and Assurance under Persecution
To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy.
A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.
57[56]Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
2I cry to God Most High,
to God who fulfils his purpose for me.
3He will send from heaven and save me,
he will put to shame those who trample upon me. Selah
God will send forth his mercy and his faithfulness!
4I lie in the midst of lions
that greedily devourq the sons of men;
their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongues sharp swords.
5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
6They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
7My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
9I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10For your mercy is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
11Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
Prayer for Vengeance
To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy.
A Miktam of David.
58[57]Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?s
Do you judge the sons of men uprightly?
2No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;
your hands deal out violence on earth.
3The wicked go astray from the womb,
they err from their birth, speaking lies.
4They have venom like the venom of a serpent,
like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
5so that it does not hear the voice of charmers
or of the cunning enchanter.
6O God, break the teeth in their mouths;
tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!
7Let them vanish like water that runs away;
like grass let them be trodden down and wither.t
8Let them be like the snail which dissolves into slime,
like the untimely birth that never sees the sun.
9Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,
whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!
10The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11Men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
surely there is a God who judges on earth.”
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy.
A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.
59[58]Deliver me from my enemies, O my God,
protect me from those who rise up against me,
2deliver me from those who work evil,
and save me from bloodthirsty men.
3For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
fierce men band themselves against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD,
4 for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
Rouse yourself, come to my help, and see!
5 You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Awake to punish all the nations;
spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah
6Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
7There they are, bellowing with their mouths,
and snarling withu their lips—
for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”
8But you, O LORD, laugh at them;
you hold all the nations in derision.
9O my Strength, I will sing praises to you;v
for you, O God, are my fortress.
10My God in his mercy will meet me;
my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
11Slay them not, lest my people forget;
make them totter by your power, and bring them down,
O Lord, our shield!
12For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies which they utter,
13 consume them in wrath,
consume them till they are no more,
that men may know that God rules over Jacob
to the ends of the earth. Selah
14Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
15They roam about for food,
and growl if they do not get their fill.
16But I will sing of your might;
I will sing aloud of your mercy in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
17O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me mercy.
Prayer for National Victory after Defeat
To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth.
A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah,
and when Joab on his return killed twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.
60[59]O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;
you have been angry; oh, restore us.
2You have made the land to quake, you have torn it open;
repair its breaches, for it totters.
3You have made your people suffer hard things;
you have given us wine to drink that made us reel.
4You have set up a banner for those who fear you,
to rally to it from the bow.w Selah
5That your beloved may be delivered,
give victory by your right hand and answer us!
6God has spoken in his sanctuary:x
“With exultation I will divide up Shechem
and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
7Gilead is mine; Manas'seh is mine;
E'phraim is my helmet;
Judah is my scepter.
8Moab is my washbasin;
upon Edom I cast my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
9Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.
11O grant us help against the foe,
for vain is the help of man!
12With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.
Assurance of God’s Protection
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
A Psalm of David.
61[60]Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;
2from the end of the earth I call to you,
when my heart is faint.
Lead me
to the rock that is higher than I;
3for you are my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
4Let me dwell in your tent for ever!
Oh, to be safe under the shelter of your wings! Selah
5For you, O God, have heard my vows,
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6Prolong the life of the king;
may his years endure to all generations!
7May he be enthroned for ever before God;
bid steadfast love and faithfulness watch over him!
8So will I ever sing praises to your name,
as I pay my vows day after day.
Song of Trust in God Alone
To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun.
A Psalm of David.
62[61]For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
2He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly moved.
3How long will you set upon a man
to shatter him, all of you,
like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4They only plan to thrust him down from his eminence.
They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse. Selah
5For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
6He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
8Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
9Men of low estate are but a breath,
men of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
10Put no confidence in extortion,
set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
11Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God;
12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you repay a man
according to his work.
Comfort and Assurance in God’s Presence
A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah.
63[62]O God, you are my God, I seek you,
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where no water is.
2So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3Because your merciful love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4So I will bless you as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
5My soul is feasted as with marrow and fat,
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips,
6when I think of you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
8My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9But those who seek to destroy my life
shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10they shall be given over to the power of the sword,
they shall be prey for jackals.
11But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by him shall glory;
for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
Prayer for Protection from Enemies
To the choirmaster.
A Psalm of David.
64[63]Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
preserve my life from dread of the enemy,
2hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
from the scheming of evildoers,
3who whet their tongues like swords,
who aim bitter words like arrows,
4shooting from ambush at the blameless,
shooting at him suddenly and without fear.
5They hold fast to their evil purpose;
they talk of laying snares secretly,
thinking, “Who can see us?y
6 Who can search out our crimes?z
We have thought out a cunningly conceived plot.”
For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep!
7But God will shoot his arrow at them;
they will be wounded suddenly.
8Because of their tongue he will bring them to ruin;a
all who see them will wag their heads.
9Then all men will fear;
they will tell what God has wrought,
and ponder what he has done.
10Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD,
and take refuge in him!
Let all the upright in heart glory!
Thanksgiving for Earth’s Bounty
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.
65[64]Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion;
and to you shall vows be performed in Jerusalem,
2 O you who hear prayer!
To you shall all flesh come
3 on account of sins.
When our transgressions prevail over us,b
you forgive them.
4Blessed is he whom you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple!
5By dread deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation,
who are the hope of all the ends of the earth,
and of the farthest seas;
6who by your strength have established the mountains,
being girded with might;
7who still the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples;
8so that those who dwell at earth’s farthest bounds
are afraid at your signs;
you make the outgoings of the morning and the evening
to shout for joy.
9You visit the earth and water it,
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide their grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
11You crown the year with your bounty;
the tracks of your chariot overflow with richness.
12The pastures of the wilderness drip,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
13the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel
To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm.
66[65]Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
3Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.
4All the earth worships you;
they sing praises to you,
sing praises to your name.” Selah
5Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds among men.
6He turned the sea into dry land;
men passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7 who rules by his might for ever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8Bless our God, O peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard,
9who has kept us among the living,
and has not let our feet slip.
10For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
11You brought us into the net;
you laid affliction on our backs;
12you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us forth to a spacious place.c
13I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
I will pay you my vows,
14that which my lips uttered
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings,
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for me.
17I cried aloud to him,
and he was extolled with my tongue.
18If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19But truly God has listened;
he has given heed to the voice of my prayer.
20Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his merciful love from me!
The Nations Called to Praise God
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
A Psalm. A Song.
67[66]May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2that your way may be known upon earth,
your saving power among all nations.
3Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
4Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
6The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, has blessed us.
7God has blessed us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!
Praise and Thanksgiving
To the choirmaster.
A Psalm of David.
A Song.
68[67]*Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered;
let those who hate him flee before him!
2As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
as wax melts before fire,
let the wicked perish before God!
3But let the righteous be joyful;
let them exult before God;
let them be jubilant with joy!
4Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds;d
his name is the LORD, exult before him!
5Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6God gives the desolate a home to dwell in;
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity;
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7O God, when you went forth before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
8the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
at the presence of God;
yon Sinai quaked at the presence of God,
the God of Israel.
9Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad;
you restored your heritage as it languished;
10your flock found a dwelling in it;
in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.
11The Lord gives the command;
great is the host of those who bore the tidings:
12 “The kings of the armies, they flee, they flee!”
The women at home divide the spoil,
13 though they stay among the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its pinions with green gold.
14When the Almighty scattered kings there,
snow fell on Zalmon.
15O mighty mountain, mountain of Bashan;
O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16Why do you look with envy, O many-peaked mountain,
at the mount which God desired for his abode,
yes, where the LORD will dwell for ever?
17With mighty chariotry, twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands,
the Lord came from Sinai into the holy place.e
18You ascended the high mount,
leading captives in your train,
and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.
19Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation. Selah
20Our God is a God of salvation;
and to GOD, the Lord, belongs escape from death.
21But God will shatter the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22The Lord said,
“I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23that you may bathef your feet in blood,
that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”
24Your solemn processions are seen,g O God,
the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25the singers in front, the minstrels last,
between them maidens playing timbrels:
26“Bless God in the great congregation,
the LORD, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!”
27There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
the princes of Judah in their throng,
the princes of Zeb'ulun, the princes of Naph'tali.
28Summon your might, O God;
show your strength, O God, you who have wrought for us.
29Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings bear gifts to you.
30Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
Trampleh under foot those who lust after tribute;
scatter the peoples who delight in war.i
31Let bronze be brought from Egypt;
let Ethiopia hasten to stretch out her hands to God.
32Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth;
sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
behold, he sends forth his voice, his mighty voice.
34Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and his power is in the skies.
35Awesome is God in hisj sanctuary,
the God of Israel,
he gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!
Prayer for Deliverance from Persecution
To the choirmaster: according to Lilies.
A Psalm of David.
69[68]Save me, O God!
For the waters have come up to my neck.
2I sink in deep mire,
where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
and the flood sweeps over me.
3I am weary with my crying;
my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
with waiting for my God.
4More in number than the hairs of my head
are those who hate me without cause;
mighty are those who would destroy me,
those who attack me with lies.
What I did not steal
must I now restore?
5O God, you know my folly;
the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.
6Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,
O Lord GOD of hosts;
let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,
O God of Israel.
7For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,
that shame has covered my face.
8I have become a stranger to my brethren,
an alien to my mother’s sons.
9For zeal for your house has consumed me,
and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
10When I humbledk my soul with fasting,
it became my reproach.
11When I made sackcloth my clothing,
I became a byword to them.
12I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,
and the drunkards make songs about me.
13But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.
At an acceptable time, O God,
in the abundance of your mercy answer me.
With your faithful help 14rescue me
from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
and from the deep waters.
15Let not the flood sweep over me,
or the deep swallow me up,
or the pit close its mouth over me.
16Answer me, O LORD, for your merciful love is good;
according to your abundant compassion, turn to me.
17Hide not your face from your servant;
for I am in distress, make haste to answer me.
18Draw near to me, redeem me,
set me free because of my enemies!
19You know my reproach,
and my shame and my dishonor;
my foes are all known to you.
20Insults have broken my heart,
so that I am in despair.
I looked for pity, but there was none;
and for comforters, but I found none.
21They gave me gall for food,
and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
22Let their own table before them become a snare;
let their sacrificial feastsl be a trap.
23Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see;
and make their loins tremble continually.
24Pour out your indignation upon them,
and let your burning anger overtake them.
25May their camp be a desolation,
let no one dwell in their tents.
26For they persecute him whom you have struck down,
and himm whom you have wounded, they afflict still more.n
27Add to them punishment upon punishment;
may they have no acquittal from you.
28Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;
let them not be enrolled among the righteous.
29But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your salvation, O God, set me on high!
30I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31This will please the LORD more than an ox
or a bull with horns and hoofs.
32Let the humble see it and be glad;
you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
33For the LORD hears the needy,
and does not despise his own that are in bonds.
34Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and everything that moves therein.
35For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah;
and his servants shall dwello there and possess it;
36 the children of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall dwell in it.
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
To the choirmaster.
A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.
70[69]Be pleased, O God, to deliver me!
O LORD, make haste to help me!
2Let them be put to shame and confusion
who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
who desire my harm!
3Let them be appalled because of their shame
who say, “Aha, Aha!”
4May all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
say evermore, “God is great!”
5But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay!
Prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help
71[70]In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame!
2In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me, and save me!
3Be to me a rock of refuge,
a strong fortress,p to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
4Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
5For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
6Upon you I have leaned from my birth;
from my mother’s womb, you have been my strength.
My praise is continually of you.
7I have been as a portent to many;
but you are my strong refuge.
8My mouth is filled with your praise,
and with your glory all the day.
9Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
forsake me not when my strength is spent.
10For my enemies speak concerning me,
those who watch for my life consult together,
11and say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue and seize him,
for there is none to deliver him.”
12O God, be not far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!
13May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
with scorn and disgrace may they be covered
who seek my harm.
14But I will hope continually,
and will praise you yet more and more.
15My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
of your deeds of salvation all the day,
for their number is past my knowledge.
16With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come,
I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
17O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
till I proclaim your might
to all the generations to come.q
Your power 19and your righteousness, O God,
reach the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?
20You who have made me see many sore troubles
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.
21You will increase my honor,
and comfort me again.
22I will also praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
23My lips will shout for joy,
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have rescued.
24And my tongue will talk of your righteous help
all the day long,
for they have been put to shame and disgraced
who sought to do me harm.
Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King
A Psalm of Solomon.
72[71]Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
2May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!
3Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness!
4May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor!
5May he liver while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
6May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth!
7In his days may righteousness flourish,
and peace abound, till the moon be no more!
8May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth!
9May his foess bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust!
10May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!
11May all kings fall down before him,
all nations serve him!
12For he delivers the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
13He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
14From oppression and violence he redeems their souls;
and precious is their blood in his sight.
15Long may he live,
may gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all the day!
16May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may men blossom forth from the cities
like the grass of the field!
17May his name endure for ever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
May men bless themselves by him,
all nations call him blessed!
18Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
19Blessed be his glorious name for ever;
may his glory fill the whole earth! Amen and Amen!
20The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.